Swing loading system



May 2, 1961 H. HE'RRMANN 2,982,391

SWING LOADING SYSTEM Filed March 11, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 2,` 1961 H. HERRMANN SWING LOADING SYSTEM 7 Sheet-shSheet 2 Filed March 11, 1958 H. HERRMANN SWING LOADING .SYSTEM May 2, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 11, 1958 May 2, 1961 Filed March ll, `1958 H. HERRMANN 2,982,391

SWING LOADING SYSTEM 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 2, 1961 H, HERRMANN 2,982,391

SWING LOADING SYSTEM Filed March l1, 1958 7 Sheehs-Shee'b 6 BY y @W @www *"3 May 2, 1951' H. HERRMANN 2,982,391

SWING LOADING SYSTEM Filed Mach 11, 1958 7 sheets-sheet 7 the mining industry.

-tions in the underground working.

United States SWING LOADING SYSTEM Helmut Herrmann, Lunen, Germany, assignor to Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westphalia, Wethniar, near Lunen, Germany, a German corporation Filed Mar. 11,1958, ser. Ne. nasce `Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 1.4, 1957 1s claims. (c1, 19a-14) Y It is known in the art of conveyingrto eiectthe con- Y veyance bymeans of a conveyor trough provided with a shovel which is pushed quickly into the material to be collected and is then withdrawn slowly therefrom.- Due to .the rapidforward thrust and the inertia of the material, a

sliding movement takes place on the surface of the trough which eifects the transport or feed of the material. Based on this principle, thrust shovel loading devices Vand shakatent C P ing, chutesare known which have been introduced in With this system of conveyance only very little energy is required for the conveying operation, so that microreciprocating plate conveyors are being introducedto an ever increasing extent. If, however, the reciprocation is utilized at the same time `for charging the loading device, in that vthe swinging loading shovel is subjected to a pressing force in the loading direction, it lis necessary to ernploy devicesfor producing the reciprocating movement by which considerable. forc es are liberated. In'this case eccentric or electricoscillating devices cannot .heused because the bearingstresses become-too great.` It has l.

therefore'already been suggested to use reciprocating `pistonldefyices operated by compressed air`or diesel engines,='when"th e swinging direction is preferablyfat an acute angle to the conveyingV direction.

The problem which the invention setsy out to solve is to produce a loading machine which can be used, for .eX-

necting means, such as rubber cushions.

Patented May 2, 1961 ice both sides of the chassis and are connected on the one hand with the conveyor andA on the other hand with the swing trough. The cylinders preferably engage the swing` ;shovel, after the device clamping the machine to the rails' has been released. For this purpose the heavy/'loading trough forms a holding resistance. The oscillating device consists of two reciprocating engines which are mounted on thetwo sides of the loading trough so that the rectilineal swinging direction etxends in known manner at an acute angle to the longitudinal' axis of the conveyertrough. The point of engagement of the reciprocating drive is displaced in relation'to the centre of gravity of the swinging mass in the direction towards lthe loading shovel, so that displacement of the centre of gravity can be compensated by the debris collected. The longitudinal axis of the oscillating trough is preferably arranged at an angle of 5 to 8 tothe floor of the working and the length of the chassis is in a ratio of about 1:3 to the length of the swinging trough., These dimensional rules represent the most advantageoussolution for the constructional design of the subject matter of the invention. The en d of the swing trough carrying the loading shovel. is provided with a support runner in known manner, but

. this runner is not confined to rails as in the case of the known arrangements ofy thistype, but consists of a tubs'haped plate which is Xed on 'the trough by eiastic con- As already mentioned, the swing trough andthe loading shovel are connectedto the chassis only at; one point, a Cardan ample, for carrying away the heaps of-debris produced underground indriving a heading. Such a machine Ymust therefore-` run on rails or endless tracks,V be easy to dismantle and its'dimensions mustbe adapted tothe condi- To enable vthe vmaterial pickedlup toi be transferred to the conveying means, it must be lpossible tofliftY this ma- .-terial tofV a certain height and-the machine must `be equipped v`with `af loading device whichlis `capable of peneelastic connection being provided which consists substan-V tially ofa length of tube rotatable about an axle andV iixedto therubber cushions which in"turn`are rigidly connected to theswinging mass."V The ardey within the tube is mounted in slots, sothat the tube is capable of turning within certain limits, that is has a certain amount of play. This length'vof `tube isconnected toa platre :which s lidably engages in a guide fixed on'thejchassis of the fv'ehicle. The frame of the chassisis preferably-.of f

rectangular 'shape` andl carries two mutually yparallel girder's betweenwhich the wheels are V`mounted.4 These parallel wheel carriers are mutually displac'eable so th'at the chassis can be adjustedt'o different*trackvidthsr' .Rail

onlyj to 8` tons isA sufficientg- Theoscillating or reciprocatingrnass itself should be as free aspossible'and only capable of swinging under the influence of the material .to becharged. The loading-arrangement should be Lcap-V ableofswinging-.both verticallyand laterally and it mustbe possible for thejwhole loadingmachine toftravel Aunderground.` .i r j'f j i The known -requirements for such machinesjinunder ground workings niust`,j. i n= orderto `attain `a constructional `f s o1ution, bee made to conform with the requirements "clamping devices are provided in known mannengbutkfthe operating levers areV alwaysso'locatedV in the cornersfof "the rectangularframe that theirl free ends farecdnnected vlirikswiththelend of 'a pistonor a cylinder of aipneuf matic system Varranged injthemiddle ofjthe'frarne andrfinm therdirection of the rails. The? clamping dcyice is suspended in the chassis frame.with a considerable `amount Vof'iplay 'andthe c'lampingziseiected by clamping j aws j Iwhich arecont'rolled'by.suitable cams.'flre'construction; Y U al designlof theloadinggmachine according-to "the inven`' able v'auxiliary equipmenteis illustrateklv'hy. Wg ex-. i 4 ample in thefaccompanyingdrawings, in which; Fig. flshowsfafloading f- `1`.i g s..;, 3 andfare' front and-rearelevatl 4nsirespe oflthe `machine illustrated in'Eigs. 1 and 2;1 g ...1

vout by simple means.

tively the vehicle chassis without the trough mounted thereon;

Fig. 7 is a form of construction of the resilient connection between the pressure and retracting cylinders on the one hand and the swing trough on the other hand;

Fig. 8 shows the rail clamping device in side elevation;

Fig. 9 shows the set of wheels with a portion of the vehicle frame and the rail clamping evice iixed on the frame;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the Cardan suspension;

Fig. l1 shows a form of construction for the insertion of the swinging trough combined with other conveying devices;

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of Fig. 1l;

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 illustrate how the material to be loaded is transferred to the gallery conveying system by a transverse conveyor;

Figs. 16 and 17 are a side elevation and a plan view respectively showing the additional conveying means for transporting the material from the swing loader to the conveyor truck, and

Figs. 18 and 19 show in side elevation and top plan View respectively a drilling platform arranged above the swing loader according to the invention.

The swing loader illustrated in Figs. l and 2 consists of a trough 1 and a loading head in the form of a shovel 2 on the front end of the trough, which shovel has penetrating teeth 11 on its front edge. Below the loading shovel a support runner 3 is provided which is elastically connected to the loading shovel 2 and rests or slides on the floor of the working. Approximately in the centre of gravity of the loading trough with the shovel, a swinging or reciprocating drive 4 in the form of two piston engines is provided, these engines being arranged one on each side of the trough. The direction of swing is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor trough. The exhaust air is conducted through suitable pipelines into the silencer 5 and thence passes outrinto 'the open. At its rear end the swing trough rests on the chassis 6. The piston rods cooperating with the pressure cylinders 9 are fixed to the two sides of the chassis. The movable cylinders 9 themselves are connected to the trough by spring elements 12 (see Fig. y2). A rail clamping device 7 is suspended under the chassis' and an operating stand 8 is arranged directly on the pressure cylinder on one side of the swing loader.

The front elevation in Fig. 3 shows theshape of the swing trough 1 and the arrangement of the thrust teeth 11 lind the'slide runner 3. The two engines of the reciprocating device 4 can be seen above the swing loader. The rear elevation in Fig. 4 shows in addition, the clamp- V ing cylinder 13 and also the constructional design of the pressure cylinders 9, the operating stand 8 mounted thereon and the support 14 of the swing trough 1l on the chassis 6. The chassis in Fig. 6 and in the corresponding front viewV in Fig. 5 enablesr the construction to be seen by which theV many functions necessary can be carried On the simple, substantially rectangular V,chassis frame 6V two wheel carriers 16 are mounted parallel to each other between the girders 15 so that the space between the wheels can be adapted to the actual width of the track laid underground, The clamp- Y ing devices v7 (see also Fig. 4), are hingedly'mounted on these wheell carriers and, with the aid of controlling dei -vices 17/18, enablethe chassis to be xed to the rails.v

For operating the V clamping 4arrangernent7 a cylinder13 `.is provided which is'arrangedparallel yto the wheel4 car-l riers 16 in the middle of the chassisand, through the intermediary of the piston rod 1 8 ofn` the .one hand and.` the cylinder 13 'on the otherhand,v acts on therinter.-

mediate links'19 which are hingedlyconnected tolevers 20 which in turri,-'being p referablymounted in the vcorners `v of the rectangular chassis, actuate theclamping; arrangements 7 by"meansof cam systems' notfshown in the..draw- -"ings The wheel carriers 16'and ,theclamping device 7 are illustrated on a larger scale in Figs. 8 and 9. The advantageous constructional arrangement of the pressure cylinders 9 is also clearly recognizable. These cylinders 9 slide on the pistons 21 which, through the intermediary of their piston rods 22, are rigidly connected with the chassis 6 at both ends by means of holding blocks or brackets 23. The cylinders 9 are directly connected to the swing trough 1 by means of the blocks 25 with interposed spring elements 12 (see Fig. 7) consisting of two individual spring members interconnected by a Cardan joint 24. To prevent the cylinders 9 from twisting axially on the piston rods 22 sliding guide shoes 26 are provided which engage in corresponding recesses in the longitudinal girders of the chassis 6. To prevent the pistons 21 from striking against the cylinder covers 27 springs 28 are mounted thereon in known manner.

Fig. 7 shows a form of construction of the spring elements and how they cooperate with their corresponding points of xation on the cylinders and the swing trough. The spring elements 12 consist of tubular bodies 29, 30 in which cup springs 31 are piled up. The tubular bodies terminate at both ends in socket pans 32 in which balls 33 engage. The bearing bracket 19 and the two spring elements 12 are constructed as a pre-assembled unit. -To enable this unit to be tted, the two spring elements must be pre-stressed, which is effected by means of a rope 34 which is fixed at one end to an anchorage 35 and stretched by'a turnbuckle or tightener 36 .at the other end. After the unit has been inserted the stress is released.

Fig. 8 shows the suspension of the rail clamping device 7. The vehicle is clamped to the rails 38 by clamping jaws 37. These clamping jaws are cam-controlled and suspended in the chassis girders 16 by loosely mounted links 39. 'Ihis arrangement is again illustrated in side elevation in Fig. 9 for the sake of clearness.

The Cardan suspension of the mass composed of the loading shovel 2 and the conveyor trough 1 freely oscillatable in relation to the chassis 6, is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 10. A guide plate 41 slides in a guide 40 mounted on the chassis frame 6. A cylindrical Cardan member 42 rests on this plate and is rigidly connected therewith. It has on its upper end a flange 43. Another cylindrical member `44 is rotatable on this Cardan member 42 between the guide plate 41 and the flange 43. An axle 45 extends transversely through the two cylindrical members and is connected to the outer member 44. Slot-shaped apertures 46 are provided in the inner member 42 so that the inner member has a certain amount of horizontal turning play in relation to the axle 45. The outer cylindrical member 44 is connected with the carrier parts 47 by means of the axle 4 5 so that it can swing in a vertical plane. These carrier parts are again connected by antivibration springs 48 to the constructional parts 49 which are directly connected to the trough 1 with the aid of the bolt'holes 50. By this arrangement the swing Vtrough is both displaceable in axial direction and can turn within certain limits horizontally and vertically. Moreover the trough can swing freely in relation to the chassis and to the actual Cardan suspension.

The low constructional height of the swing loader according tothe invention, 'a's well as its restricted length, enable it to -travel underground Veven along tortuous galleries andrto be combined with a number of other arrangements.v These may be arrangements whichtranspoit the materialqfrom the Vloader through the gallery,

gwhich set up the walling during the loading operation terial fed by the swing loader according to the invention,

to a .conveyor belt conveyor. l. y

Fig. l2 shows this arrangement in top plan view. The

which carries the material to a gallery yassaggi intermediate conveyor can be connected to the swingV clamping means for clamping the base vehicle to the rails lade'r according to theinvention byan articulated lever -are provided, including a piston-cylinder arrangement .51 or a rope so that it-canV always be moved forward as disposed on sad base vehicle, clamping jaws hingedly the working progresses. To ensure that the distance bedepending from the under side of said base vehicle, and tween the swing trough and the intermediate loading delinkage means operatively connecting said piston-cylinvice is 'always maintained, a rod 51 is provided in the der arrangement to said clamping jaws for moving said form of construction illustrated, whichrod is hinged jaws into and out of clamping engagement with a cordirectly to the slide shoe at the bearing point between responding rail. the swing trough and the chassis and Awith its other end 7. In a loading machine of the swing type for colpulls along the intermediate loading device. lecting and conveying granular material including a con- In many underground workings, the conveying means veyor loading* trough having a shovel means at its forare arranged along the side of the gallery. In this case ward end, a base vehicle for said trough which is capable it is necessary to provide the swing loader according of linear travel, and inter-connecting means for pivotally to the invention with a small transverse conveyor which connecting said trough to said base vehicle for vertical must also be connected directly to thelswing trough so and horizontal-pivoting about a point and forlougithat it is moved forward as the working progresses. tudinally displacing said trough with respect to said base These arrangements are illustrated in Figs. 13, 14 and l5. vehicle, the improvement which comprises means for Figs. 16 and l7 show in side elevation and top plan View laterally swinging the trough including a pair of spaced respectively a conveying system combined with a swing apart piston means each laterally connected to a corloader according to the invention and transporting 20 responding side of the base vehicle parallel to the the material into trucks. As this conveyor system has longitudinal axis of said vehicle, each including a double to take up the thrust energy of the on-coming trucks, acting piston positioned on a piston rod intermediate the connection to the conveyor trough must be elastic. the ends thereof, and a corresponding pair of spaced l Y Figs. 18 and 19 show how the low height measurements apart coacting cylinder means each connected to the of the machine according to the invention are particutrough by resilient connecting means, each including a s larly advantageous in underground workings and what double acting cylinder mounted for movement on a corpossibilities are aiforded, for example, by combining responding piston rod with the piston received slidably the collecting and transporting of the heaps of debris therewithin, the ends of the piston rod extending through with drilling or walling operations. A travelling drillthe ends of the cylinder, each said piston means and ing machine anda platform can be brought intoany deits corresponding cylinder means being operable sirnulsired working position above the conveyor Without it taneously in the same direction of movement with as well being necessary to put the conveyor itself out of operaas in the opposite direction of movement from the other tion. It is well known that overlapping the working opsaid `piston means and its corresponding cylinder means. erations in underground mining is extremely advan- 8. Improvement according to claim 7 wherein said tageous. resilient connecting means includes axially resilient means I claim; pivotally mounted on said cyl-inder and turnably interl. A loading'machine of the swing type for collecting connected with said trough. l and conveyinggranular material which comprises a con- 9. Improvement according to claim 8 wherein said Veyor loading trough having a shovel means at its foraxially resilient means includes a pair of axially aligned ward end, a base vehicle for said troughwhich is capable 40 tubular members telescopingly arranged at their remote of linear travel, interconnecting means for pivotally con- -ends within and resiliently outwardly urged from a cornecting said trough to said base vehicle for Vertical and responding tubular recess member, each said recess memhorizontal pivoting about a point and for longitudinally ber being pivotally mounted kon said cylinder, the near displacing said trough `with respect to said base vehicle, ends of said tubular members revolvably abutting an inand oscillating means disposed on said trough for cartcrmediate pivot surface connected tosaid trough. rying out linear oscillations at an acute angle with rei v- 410. Improvement according to claim 9 wherein a pluspect to the longitudinal axis of said trough, said oscilraiity of Coactng pairs of cup springs under stress are lating 'means being positioned onsaid trough at a point provided VWifhirl each Said tubular member and its cor- Y substantially forward-'ofthe center of gravity of said `responding tubular recess member t0 utwardlv urge trough with respectl to its forward end, Said tubular member from said tubular recess member. Y 2.. Loading machine according to claim 1f wherein 11- Improvement according to Claim 7 Whel'el Upon means for laterally Swinging Said tlv-Ugh arg-provided anchoring said base vehicle against linear travel, said including a pair of spacedapart parallel piston means Cylinders are operable t0 move Ysimultaneouslv in forconnected to said base vehicle and a corresponding pair Wa'T-d dlootol in tum linearly moving Said trough in of spaced apart parallel coacting cylinder means 00nforward direction with respectto the base vehicle, and nected to said vtrough by resilient connecting means. fwhofel Upon releasing the anchoring of Said base Ve- 3. `-Loading machine accord-ing'to" cla-im 1 wherein said hide and onohoTmg Said tl'ough against line-m' movement, oscillating means includes a pail of oscillating members,V .v Sad Cl/ltndefs mi@ operable EO mOVe Said base Vehicle each positioned on a corresponding side-of said trough in forward direction while said cylinders remain stationwith itslongitudinal axis at anV angle of from about 5V 60 afl With Sayid trouh'llsmg fhofallchoflg 0f Sad trough Vto 8 degrees with respect to the horizontal, the length of 3S leverage for ,effecting tho movommof Sad oase.; v

said basefvehicle beingin4 the ratio of about. 1:3 with re- Veholol Speel ,lo the totalflength f said trough i. N T l l2. In a loading machine ofthe swing type for collect-l Y Y 4- Loadngmachin 'aoooldillgio C1om1flWhercin said' l ing and conveyinggranular material including a conveyor `loading shovel is `provided a snppgrllrest :m1361265 loading troughl havinga shovel means at its ,forward end,

.',ahase vehicle for said trough vwhich isA capable of linear v`therebeneathJ resilientlyconnectedto said trough. 'l i, A t

' ytravellaml inter-connecting means-for pivotally connect- 5,. 4Loading machineaccording to claim l'whe'rein said el le, havingslotsldefi c ed t9; 'the t )ish-1 g saidtrough torsaidl basevehile for'vertical and hori` ontal .p 'ng'aboutxa point and for-longitudinallyfdisl Y acing `said Vtrough fwith respect .to qsaidtbase vehic,le,;f improvement whichrcomprisesa Cardan suspension-.f1.- f Sllldliglfhe 0B-shy@ .the bast- Vlcleatfone including aanbelmernber' connected 4topthfe basev` pension for suspending the trough on the base vehicle 10 at one point including a tube member having slots dened therein through which an axle connected to the trough is passed, the length of said slots dening a limited path of movement for said axle in a plane passing through said slots, said tube member being slidably connected to the base vehicle by means of a guide member slidably disposed within a corresponding guide groove positioned on said base vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,306,064 Joy June 10, 1919 2,272,504 Bigelow Feb. 10, 1942 2,638,200 Russell May 12, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 668,624 Germany Dec. 7, 1938 827,053 Germany Jan. 7, 1952 888,526 Germany Sept. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,982,391 May 2, 1961 Helmut Herrmann It s hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent, should read as lvcorreetefl below.

In the grant, lines 2 and 12, '1n the heading to the printed Specificatiom lines 3 and 4, name of assignee, for Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westphalia," each occurrence, read Gewerkschaft Esenhutte Westfalia column 2, 1`1ne 18, for "etxends" read extends --g line 23, or "dsplacement" read M displacements column 3,k 1ne 49, for "ind" read Signed and sealed this 19th day of September 1961a (SEAL)V Attest:

DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC- ERNEST w. SWIDEE Attesting Officer 

